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Validity of Maternal Birthweight Recall Among Colombian Children

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Abstract

Low birthweight and preterm birth are associated with adverse health outcomes later in life, but acquisition of accurate birthweight information is not always feasible in large epidemiological studies. We examined the validity of child birthweight and gestational age recall by mothers, and the extent to which recall bias affects associations between birthweight and childhood obesity in children from Bogotá, Colombia. We surveyed mothers of 3,202 schoolchildren aged 5–12 years about child’s weight and gestational age at birth, and sociodemographic characteristics. In a subsample of 279 children, we obtained hospital birth records and extracted birthweight, gestational age, and other perinatal information. Mean birthweight (SD) was 3,106 (739) grams according to maternal recall and 2,977 (462) grams according to hospital records (difference 129 g; 95% CI = 55, 203). Thirty-three percent of mothers recalled their children’s birthweights exactly as they appeared in hospital records. Mother’s age and fewer years of education were each significantly associated with greater birthweight recall bias. Specificity of low birthweight (<2,500 g) and preterm birth (<37 weeks gestation) from maternal recall was 0.95 and 0.86, respectively; however, sensitivity was lower (0.66 and 0.67, respectively). Associations between recalled birthweight and BMI-for-age or overweight during school age were weaker than those with hospital record birthweight. Maternal birthweight recall 5–12 years after birth differs from hospital record birthweight by a clinically meaningful amount. Birthweight recall should be used with caution in epidemiological studies conducted in this and comparable settings. Associations between birthweight and obesity may be stronger than they appear when using recalled birthweight.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the authorities at the hospitals that provided support for the review of birth charts: Centro Policlínico del Olaya, Clínica Juan N. Corpas, Clínica de Occidente, Clínica Partenón, Hospital Centro Oriente, Hospital la Granja, Hospital Materno Infantil, Hospital Militar Central, Hospital Kennedy, Hospital de San José, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Hospital Universitario Clínica San Rafael, and Hospital la Victoria. Funding for this study was provided by the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Caroline E. Boeke & Eduardo Villamor

  2. Department of Nutrition, National University of Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia

    Constanza Marín, Mercedes Mora-Plazas & Samantha Agudelo-Cañas

  3. Epidemiology and Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Clínica San Rafael, Bogotá, Colombia

    Henry Oliveros

  4. Departments of Environmental Health Sciences and Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Eduardo Villamor

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  1. Caroline E. Boeke
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  2. Constanza Marín
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  4. Mercedes Mora-Plazas
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Correspondence to Caroline E. Boeke.

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Boeke, C.E., Marín, C., Oliveros, H. et al. Validity of Maternal Birthweight Recall Among Colombian Children. Matern Child Health J 16, 753–759 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-011-0803-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-011-0803-z

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